


Sunshine State of Mind

by artiowritestrash



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Beach Holidays, Beach Sex, Beaches, Ben Solo Needs A Hug, Dadam fic, Daddy Kink, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Masturbation, Masturbation in Shower, Rey is just so darn forgetful, Rey wears a bikini because she is a tease, Single Dad Ben Solo, bazine is a bitch, hot sunscreen application, mild slowburn, single parent
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-02
Updated: 2020-04-10
Packaged: 2020-10-09 04:20:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 17,725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20494655
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/artiowritestrash/pseuds/artiowritestrash
Summary: After finally ending his loveless marriage to Bazine, Ben decides to get away to a sleepy beach town from his childhood with his son, Will.While there, he runs into sunshine personified in the form of Rey. The local shows him how to let go of his past and embrace his new life with his son and in the process, Ben finds something else to live for.





	1. Getaway

**Author's Note:**

> I said I wasn't going to start any other fics. I can confirm, that was a bold faced lie and no one should have believed me. 
> 
> Besides, we all need some Single Dad Ben in our lives. There isn't enough of that.
> 
> As always, thank you to my wonderful betas, here4thereylo and Toki Doki, who clean up my trash. I would be a mess without them!

/>

Ben unlocked the front door of their apartment, loosening his tie as he tossed his keys into the bowl sitting on the small table in the foyer.

“Daddy!” A small voice accompanied by the soft footfalls of his four year old met him as soon as he turned around. Ben had just enough time to set down his briefcase before he was assailed by a blur of black hair.

He groaned softly, catching him in his arms and scooping him up, instantly peppering his face and hair with kisses. “Hey bud! Did you have a good day at school?” Ben asked as he pulled back, easily adjusting his grip on the boy as he walked into the apartment. 

“Mhmmm! We learned some shapes,” Will told him, his small arms wrapping around his neck. “And I colored a picture of a rabbit.” He pointed to the fridge as they passed the kitchen. There was a new drawing there that was hung only half way up the fridge, meaning that the boy had put it up himself. 

“That’s great, Will. Where is your mom?” He asked, carrying his son into the living room and setting him down on the couch as he looked around, a frown tugging on the corner of his lips. 

Will looked back at his drawing, silently coloring the picture in front of him and not saying a word. “Will..?” Ben questioned again, brows drawing together.

“She’s in your room…” He paused, his voice soft. “She has a friend with her.” Will dared a glance over at him from beneath his lashes. 

Ben felt his stomach sink and he took a deep breath through his nose. “How about we go put on a movie in your room, okay?” He said, picking Will back up and taking him to his room, putting on the first movie he saw and pressing play. Ben pressed a kiss to the top of his head, smoothing back the mop of raven hair.

He closed the door behind him, closing his eyes and standing there for a moment. Ben knew, whatever or whoever, he found in the room with Bazine would be the end of this relationship. Not that it was much of a relationship to begin with, but Ben had tried. Especially once Will had been born. 

That had been the beginning of the end of their relationship. Ben had done what he could to make the best of a bad situation. He worked hard to raise Will, got him into a good elementary school, and had even cut down on his hours at work to be with his son. 

Will’s birth had been the best thing to ever happen to Ben. He loved that boy more than anything and his mom…. Well, Bazine was another story. At one point in his life, he thought what they had was love, but time had just proved him wrong. 

Ben took one more deep breath before heading down the hall towards his bedroom, pausing as he heard the moans coming from inside.

He didn’t even bother knocking as he opened the door, changing Will’s and his life forever.

*********

That had been six months ago. Six months since he walked on Bazine fucking some guy she had picked up. Six months since he had filed for divorce. Six months since he had gained full custody of Will. Six months since he had bought a little house outside of the city. Six months since he and Will had started a new life without Bazine. 

It had been rough at first. Adjusting to being a single dad hadn’t been the easiest. Sure, he had been raising Will by himself since his birth. Bazine hadn’t exactly been the most present mother, but she had still managed to help some.

Now, though, they were doing well. They had adjusted and gotten through it together. Will had thankfully finished his first year of kindergarten without any issue and Ben had made the decision for them to take a trip for the summer.

That was how they had ended up driving to the sleepy beach town of Capitola, an hour and a half outside of San Francisco. Ben had come here frequently with his parents throughout his childhood and thought it was just what they needed to get the bad taste of the last six months out of their mouths. 

As they had driven past the Venetian inspired beach houses lining the road, Ben realized that nothing had changed. It was like this place had been untouched by time, locked into another plane of existence. 

Just being here breathed new life into him. He could see himself making a tradition of coming here with his son like his parents had done with him. The thought of it left him filled with a new hope for their life together. 

All Ben wanted for his son was a life full of love and happiness. He finally felt that he could manage that. 

Eventually, Ben finished unpacking their suitcase into the dresser of the master bedroom and placed the luggage into the closet. “Hey buddy, whatcha’ thinking for dinner?” He called, as he headed downstairs to the living room where he had left Will coloring. 

“Hot dogs!” Will exclaimed, bracing his hands on the table as he bounced up and down, a wide grin splitting his face. 

“Hot dogs, huh? I think we can manage that,” Ben replied, grabbing the house keys and shoving them into the pocket of his cargo shorts. “Let’s get your shoes on. I know just the place.” Ben stooped down to help Will tie his shoes, doing the loopy-loop then pull trick that he had shown his son not too long ago.

If Ben remembered correctly, there was a place not too far from here—Maybe a ten minute walk. He had made the trek many a time during his youth. Even now at thirty four, it was as familiar as the back of his hand. 

He hoped, given the way the rest of the town looked when they had driven in, that the little diner and ice cream bar was still where he had last left it. Ben and Will walked hand in hand along the sidewalk, chatting about the sand castle they were going to build tomorrow when they went to the beach.

It wasn’t long before they were approaching a small pastel yellow building. The white shutters were worn smooth and chipped from the salty sea air. The once green awning had been replaced with a baby blue one that better complimented the yellow. There were a few tables with striped umbrellas set up outside, the colors faded by the sun. 

A few things had changed, but overall it looked the same. The name had changed to the Sunshine Diner and Ben thought that it fit the new look.

He opened the door, a small ball tinkling as Will and he entered. The inside was like stepping back in time. It had been repainted and spruced up, but other than that it was largely unchanged.

The same black and white checkered tile covered the floor. The ice cream bar and soda fountain still took up the left side of the room, and behind that, the kitchen could still be seen through a small window. The right side of the diner was filled with booths and the same jukebox from all those years ago sat in the corner, crooning away. 

Will looked around in awe, his brown eyes wide with wonder. 

Ben couldn’t help the smile that split his face, deciding that this moment alone was worth the whole trip.

That was until  _ she _ came out. 

“Hi! Welcome to the Sunshine Diner! How can I help you guys today?” A voice said from behind the bar and Ben was thrown for a loop. 

The accent was not what he had been expecting, and besides that, it had to have been one of the sweetest voices he had ever heard. Next to Will’s, of course.

Ben looked up from his son and over to the source of the voice. 

His mouth suddenly went dry and he forgot how to speak.

She was  _ beautiful _ . Stomach-clenching, heart-stopping, breath-stealing beautiful. Her hazel eyes shone brightly, the green flecks in her eyes highlighted by the sun streaming in through the windows. There were freckles littering the bridge of her nose, contrasting with her golden complexion. Her chestnut hair was pulled back half up half down, the loose waves framing her face. It was her smile that stopped him cold though. 

It was so bright. Like sunshine, leaving him completely blinded by the brightness of it. 

He blinked a few times, trying to gather his wits.

“Daddy, it isn’t polite to stare,” Will said, looking up at him with drawn brows an a frown, clearly displeased by his dad’s behavior.

Ben felt a flush warm his cheeks and travel all the way to the tips of his ears as he looked down at his son, thoroughly chastised. “I wasn’t staring,” He said, first to Will before turning to look back at the woman. “I wasn’t!”

She laughed and Ben was pretty sure that he died in that moment. 

“Of course you weren’t,” She replied, leaning against the counter, her arms crossed in front of her. The front of her little sundress bared the faintest bit of skin along her cleavage. Ben found his mouth dry again.

Will looked between the two adults, still frowning. “Daddy… We came here for food, ‘member?” He said, giving Ben’s hand a tug as he moved further into the diner. Ben let himself be pulled forward, his free hand coming up to rub at the back of his neck.

“Uh, yeah, buddy. I remember,” Ben replied, daring another glance at the woman who was still smiling, clearly amused. 

“Why don’t you guys take a seat. I’ll be out with some menus in just a moment,” She said, motioning to the booths before disappearing back into the kitchen. 

Ben allowed Will to lead him over to one of the booths, slipping into one side and Will sitting opposite him. The boy had to rise up onto his knees to be tall enough, but he did so happily. The woman appeared a few moments later with two menus and some crayons. 

“Here you go… My name is Rey, by the way. I’ll be taking care of you guys today,” She said, pulling out a small notepad.

Ben finally got a good look at her and it only served to bring the dryness back to his mouth. She was wearing a little navy blue flowered sundress, a small apron tied around her tiny waist, and yellow converse adorning her feet. Ben had to keep his eyes from wandering over the expanse of her legs, but even from his quick glance he could tell they were long. 

“So, what can I get you to drink?” Rey asked, pen poised to write. 

“Can I have a milkshake with my food, daddy?” Will asked excitedly, little hands splayed across the table top.

“Uh, yeah. Sure, but you need a water too, okay?” Ben replied, finally tearing his eyes away from Rey to look at Will and then the menu.

“One chocolate milkshake and a water please!” His son said, thankfully remembering his manners much to Ben’s relief. 

“Easy enough,” Rey said, jotting down the order before looking over at Ben, her eyes shining. “And for you, daddy?” She said smoothly, smirking when his eyes went wide and another flush spread over his skin.

“Same thing.” Ben managed to keep his voice fairly even, unable to meet her eyes.

“You gotta say please!” Will piped up, not even looking at his father as he colored away, oblivious to the situation he was putting Ben into.

“Please,” He huffed, fighting the urge to sink into the booth and hide forever. 

“No problem. I’ll have that right out,” Rey replied sweetly, turning on her heel and disappearing into the kitchen once more. 

Ben let out a long breath, scrubbing his hand over his face. 

In the six months since the divorce, Ben hadn’t so much as looked at another woman. Between the divorce, moving, working, and taking care of Will, dating hadn’t even crossed his mind. Yet here he was, completely awestruck after one fucking smile. A smile that put the sun to shame, but still. He was better than this! Right? 

He struggled to remember the last time he had even flirted with a woman. Will was almost five now. Bazine and him had been together for about a year when they found out she was pregnant. So that meant it had been almost seven years since he had flirted—with anyone. 

Besides that, he had a kid now! Why would a gorgeous, young waitress with legs for days and a smile that made his chest ache want anything to do with him? Not to mention he was probably way too old for her. 

Ben fought back a groan, dropping his forehead into his palm as he looked down at the menu, trying to distract himself. 

It wasn’t too long before Rey was coming back with two chocolate shakes—one of which was in a much smaller glass thankfully—and two waters. She set them on the table carefully, placing a handful of straws down with them.

“I gave you a bit of extra whipped cream, but don’t tell anyone, okay?” She whispered to Will, throwing him a wink as she pulled her pad back out after tucking the tray under her arm. Will giggled, unwrapping his straw and sticking it into his milkshake. “You guys ready to order?” Rey asked, looking over at Ben now.

“Uh, yeah. He’ll have the kids hotdog and fries. I’ll have the same thing,” Ben replied before he quickly corrected himself. “The, uh, adult one. Two of them.” His son looked up and fixed him with another stern look. “Oh, right… Please,” Ben amended as Rey wrote it all down.

“So I have one kids hotdog and fries for him. Then two adult hotdogs and fries for you.” Ben nodded in confirmation, wishing she would go so he could die of embarrassment in peace, but wanting nothing more for her to stay and keep smiling at him. “I’ll have that right out.”

With that, Rey disappeared back into the kitchen once more.

He let out a sigh of relief now that she was no longer pinning him down with that ridiculously sweet smile of hers. Her lips were too pretty, he decided. It should be illegal for lips to be that pretty. How were they that pretty? Who even let that happen? It was wholly unfair. 

Ben would have continued his lamenting if it wasn’t for Will’s little voice pulling him out of his suffering. 

“Will you play tic tac toe with me?” He asked, his tiny hand holding out a red crayon for Ben. Ben sighed, mustering a smile for his son and took the crayon. It might have well been made for munchkins with how small it was in his hand. Ben tried his best to hold it delicately, not wanting to snap the stick of colored wax in two.

“Sure, buddy,” He said, flipping over the coloring page to the blank back, drawing them a few games. 

“Do you wanna be hugs or kisses?” Will asked, taking up his own blue crayon as he looked at his father expectantly. 

“I’ll take kisses,” Ben chuckled, shaking his head at his son. No matter how many times he had told him that they were just X’s and O’s, Will refused to call them anything else. Leia had told him they were hugs and kisses. After that, it was a lost cause.

Not that there was anything wrong with it. If Ben was honest, it was pretty fucking cute. Then again, his son was cute in general. Large brown eyes, floppy black hair that matched his father’s, and the same ears that stuck out a little too far. 

Ben had hoped that he wouldn’t get his ears, but his genetics ran strong. 

“I’ll do hugs!” Will declared, sitting up on his knees again so he could scope out the board. 

“You go first.” Ben said, waiting for his son to make a move before he went. It was easy to let Will win, but Ben did claim one match for himself, being sure to draw it out as long as possible so Will felt like he just barely lost.

By the end of the third game, Rey arrived with their food, setting the plates down carefully between them. “Alright, one kids hot dog for you, little man. Then two for you, daddy,” She smirked, tucking her tray under her arm. “Can I get you two anything else?”

Ben was flushed again, the tips of his ears surely on fire., “Its Ben,” He said, ignoring her question and avoiding her eyes.

“I think I like daddy more,” Rey teased, her smirk morphing into a grin as Ben looked up finally, meeting her eyes. He was struck dumb, completely at a loss for what to say.

Thankfully, Will came to his rescue, “Can I get some ketchup, Ms. Rey?” He asked, having not touched his food yet. Will flashed her a winning smile that caused two dimples to appear on his cheeks. 

“Of course, love. I’ll be right back,” Rey threw him a wink, turning on her heel so quickly the skirt of her dress fluttered, baring a delicious peek of her thighs. Ben took in a deep breath, deciding to focus on getting Will situated. 

He pulled a few napkins out, tucking one into the front of his son’s shirt before he took up a knife, cutting his hotdog in half. “Alright, kiddo. All set once we get your ketchup.” 

Rey was back a couple of minutes later with a bottle of ketchup. Ben took it from her. “Thanks…” He said softly, opening the cap with a flick of his thumb, squirting some on each half of the hotdog. 

“I don’t think I’ve seen you guys before. Are you new to town or just visiting?” Rey asked, leaning against Will’s side of the booth, her arms crossed in front of her. 

“We’re staying for the summer. Decided we needed a little father son trip, right bud?” Ben prompted.

Will was in the middle of chewing a mouthful of hotdog, ketchup already smeared on his cheek somehow. He nodded vigorously. 

“Just you two, huh? No mom this time?” She questioned, eyeing him curiously as she arched one perfect brow. 

“Uh, no… Just us,” Ben said, squeezing a bit of ketchup onto his plate. 

“That’s too bad,” Rey said, a frown tugging on the corner of her too pretty lips. Ben felt his stomach twist at the sight. 

He managed a small nod. “She made her choice, but we’re doing just fine,” Ben said, glancing over at Will who had finally stopped chewing. 

“Mommy left ‘cause she didn’t want to be a mommy,” Will supplied, tone matter-of-fact as he carefully dipped a french fry into his chocolate shake. 

Rey blinked, clearly taken aback by the child’s bluntness. “I’m sorry to hear that… She’s really missing out. I barely know you and I could tell you that much,” She said softly, offering Ben a reassuring smile that made a light dance in her hazel eyes.

“That’s kind of you to say, but you don’t have to,” Ben forced a smile that was really more of a thin press of lips. 

“I know I don’t… Enjoy your meal. Shout if you need anything,” She offered, giving him one last smile, her eyes lingering on his before she headed back into the kitchen and leaving them to their meal.

Ben and Will ate in relative silence, too busy stuffing their faces to make much conversation. 

Eventually Rey came back out with a check, placing it onto the tabletop. “No rush… So, you guys have any plans for tomorrow?” She asked, rocking on her heels slightly.

“We’re gonna build a sandcastle!” Will supplied, smiling brightly up at her. “And find sharks teeth!” 

“A beach day, huh? Can’t go wrong there! Word of advice, though,” Rey leaned forward, whispering to Will like she was sharing a well guarded secret. “Don’t go to the main beach. Go down past the jetties. You’ll find way more shark teeth there.” 

Will’s eyes went wide and he nodded. “Past the getties!” He repeated, looking over to Ben. “Did you hear her, daddy?” 

“Yeah, bud. I heard her,” he replied with a chuckle, smiling as he glanced back at Rey. “Thanks for the suggestion.”

“Oh yeah, no problem! If you ever want more local knowledge, let me know. I know all the best places for just about anything you could want,” Rey said, hand on her hip as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. 

“I’ll keep that in mind. I think we’ll be back. This one has an insatiable hunger for hot dogs and milkshakes,.” Ben laughed, the light of it warming his eyes honey, brown eyes for the first time.

“Good thing I have a pretty much endless supply of both of those things,” Rey quipped, drawing her bottom lip between her teeth as she smiled. Ben found himself wishing it was his teeth nibbling on her soft, deliciously pink instead.

He smiled, pulling out enough money from his wallet to cover the bill and included a sizeable tip. “We’ll be back then, I’m sure,” Ben said, standing up and stretching as he looked down at her with a shy smile, his cheeks flushing again. 

“I certainly hope so,” She hummed, tilting her chin up to meet his eyes before stepping back slightly as Will climbed out of the booth and took his father’s hand. “It was very nice to meet you two!” Rey said, extending her hand to Will and giving his a little shake.

“Thank you for the yummy food, Miss Rey!” Will said sweetly, dropping her hand as he pressed against his father’s leg.

“Anytime! Have a good night, you two,” Rey replied, stepping back as they headed for the door. “See you later, daddy,” She said with a wink, her lips curling into a smirk now as the tips of his ears flushed with the rest of him.

Ben cleared his throat, laughing nervously. “Uh, yeah. See you later,” He replied, giving Will’s hand a little tug. “Come on, bud.” With that, Ben shot Rey one last look over his shoulder as they exited the restaurant into the warm evening air.   
  



	2. Sunscreen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! First off, I am sorry that this has taken so long to get up. Life has been hitting me hard and the semester is in full swing. So updates might be a little more sporadic for the time being. I don't want to skimp on quality if it means getting things out more quickly. So please be patient and I will do my best to keep up with this!
> 
> Thank you to all of my wonderful beta's who constantly clean up my trash, here4thereylo, Toki, and Meeda.
> 
> Also, thank you, DarkKnightDarkSide for the wonderful moodie.
> 
> Go an check these guys out! I would link them, but honestly, I don't know how lol

The next day, Ben and Will slept in a little bit longer than they would have usually, but Ben wasn’t complaining. They were on vacation, after all.

** **

Eventually, once Will became too antsy to remain in his bed, Ben got up and made them pancakes for breakfast before he got them ready for the beach. 

** **

When going anywhere with a four year old, one tended to need a lot on a normal occasion. Add in the fact that they were going to the beach and Ben basically packed for a full-on expedition. Ben loaded up his rental Jeep with chairs, an umbrella, a cooler, and multiple beach bags. 

** **

“Do you have your swim shirt on?” Ben asked, pulling on his shoes as he glanced over at his son who was in the middle of stuffing his feet into his swim shoes. He did indeed have his swim shirt on and Will gave a nod before standing up and darting down the hall.

** **

Will came back out a moment later, a bucket hat on his head, his ears sticking out from beneath, “And a hat!” He said, beaming up at his father as he took his hand. 

** **

“And a hat,” he chuckled, leading him out to the car and helping him into his car seat. Ben climbed into the driver’s seat and soon they were on the road.

** **

“‘Member we’re goin’ to the getties!” Will reminded him from the backseat. 

** **

Ah, right. Rey’s suggestion. How could he forget?

** **

“I know, buddy.” Ben confirmed, following his phone’s GPS to the specified location. 

** **

The drive didn’t take too long, but even fifteen minutes was pushing it for an overly eager four year old. Thankfully, Will was an incredibly well-behaved four year old and he stayed right by Ben’s side as he unloaded the car, claiming their spot on the beach. 

** **

All he had left was to slather both of them with sunscreen before he turned his son loose. 

** **

“I wanna find teeth, daddy!” Will declared, pulling Ben’s hand to get him back onto his feet. Ben groaned, pushing out of his beach chair.

** **

“Alright, alright…” He grabbed one of the beach pails they brought, passing it to Will before setting off down the shore line. 

** **

They wandered together for about thirty minutes before Ben took them back to their site. “How about we build a sandcastle next?” Ben suggested, grabbing one of the water bottles he brought, urging Will to drink. His son took the bottle, drinking a few big gulps before giving him back the water as he nodded.

** **

“Alright. What kind of sandcastle should we make?” Ben asked, grabbing the necessary tools and moving over to the side of the chairs, still under the shade to hopefully spare their fair skin. 

** **

“A big one,” Will stated simply, already beginning to fill up one of the buckets with sand using a little shovel. 

** **

While they built, Ben couldn’t help but think about how lucky he was. Will was such a good kid. Despite everything they had gone through with Bazine and the divorce, Will was still as bright as ever. If there was one thing Ben could say about his son, it was that he was resilient. 

** **

That wasn’t the only thing, of course. He was smart. Way smarter than Ben ever was at that age. He was observant and wise beyond his years. Sometimes, his son would look at him with his soft brown eyes and it was like he saw straight into his soul.

** **

There had been times, right after the divorce, when Will would find Ben sitting up at night with a glass of whiskey in his hand and his eyes brimming with tears. Will would walk towards him, his stuffed dinosaur tucked beneath his arm, and not saying a word, would climb onto the couch and into Ben’s lap, wrapping his free arm around his dad’s neck. 

** **

Ben would hold his son in those moments, tucking his head beneath his chin as tears slipped down his cheeks silently. 

** **

It was only because of Will that Ben made it through the whole affair. Sometimes, Ben thought that he needed Will more than Will needed him. He was thankful for his son every damn day of his life.

"It needs a door!" Will suddenly exclaimed, after about an hour of building. He scrambled onto his feet and took off toward the shoreline in search of the perfect door in the form of a shell. 

** **

Ben leaned his head back, rolling his neck and basking in the warm sunlight as he drew in a deep breath of sea air. For the first time in over six months, Ben felt at ease. Like he could finally breathe without pain in his chest. He let his eyes drift closed for a moment, basking in his revelation. 

** **

Suddenly, Will's voice pulled him from his moment of peace. 

** **

"Daddy! Look who it is!" Will exclaimed as he came barreling towards Ben at full speed, a shell clutched in his hand as the other pointed back behind him. 

** **

Ben let his eyes shift from Will to where his son was pointing, his mouth going dry.

** **

It was Rey. 

** **

It was Rey looking like the most delicious sin in a little yellow bikini that did nothing to hide her tan skin, pert breasts, or toned legs. Her hair was down, blowing around her face—thanks to the breeze coming from the water— with a pair of sunglasses balanced on her nose. Her smile was just as heartbreaking as he remembered and it was directed right at him. 

** **

"I see you took my advice," she called, approaching him at an easy walk, her hips swaying and only serving as further temptation. He felt dirty even looking at her like this, but he couldn't tear his eyes away. 

** **

Ben was thankful he was wearing sunglasses.

** **

He swallowed thickly, but managed something resembling a smile. “Uh, yeah. Will didn’t let me forget,” Ben joked, rubbing the back of his neck, instantly regretting it as he felt the sand against his skin. 

** **

“I’m sure he didn’t,” She knelt down beside Will, her knees sinking into the warm sand as she braced herself with her hands. “Watcha’ working on, Will?” Rey asked, examining their sandcastle as Will painstakingly pushed the shell into the front of the castle. 

** **

“We made a sandcastle,” Will said, beginning to decorate the outside with other various little shells. 

** **

“That is a pretty impressive sandcastle,” Rey replied, peering around the side and meeting Ben’s eyes over the top of her glasses. “Did you help, daddy?” She asked, that cheeky grin back on her perfectly pink lips. 

** **

Ben felt a blush spread all the way to the tips of his ears and he only hoped that his was flush enough that she didn’t notice. Rey’s eyes slipped down from his, roving over his chest, all the way down to the waistband of his swim trunks before back to his eyes. Her grin only got bigger as she met his eyes once more. 

** **

“Of course. I’m a sandcastle expert,” he replied, internally wincing after the words left his mouth. Could he make himself sound anymore lame?

** **

“An expert, huh? How does one become an expert on sandcastles?” she asked, sitting back on her haunches.

** **

“Having a background in architecture is a start,” Ben said. “And also, one has to build a lot of sandcastles. At least a hundred before they can call themselves an expert.” 

** **

“Architecture? Is that what you do?” Rey arched a brow, expression shifting to one of curiosity. 

** **

“Uh, yeah. For the last ten years, actually.” He chewed at his bottom lip, trying to stay focused on her face and not the taut muscles of her stomach.

** **

“That is really cool. What was the last thing you worked on?” She began to fill one of the small buckets, apparently starting a sandcastle of her own.

** **

“Well, my company worked with Disney recently on the new land,” Ben supplied, hoping that wasn’t too much of a boast. They really had worked with Disney on the land and hotel. He had just come off that project just last month. 

** **

“No way! That is really cool, Ben.” Rey paused in her building, fixing him with her bright eyes and he felt another flush color his skin. He liked the way his name sounded in her voice. It sent his pulse racing and his stomach twisting nervously. 

** **

“Yeah, it was pretty fun to work on. Much better than office buildings,” He said with a little laugh, shrugging his shoulders. 

** **

“I’ll bet! Do you get to go?” 

** **

“Do I get to go…?” Ben repeated, brows drawing together.

** **

“Yeah. Do you get to go and see all your hard work in person?” She asked, flipping her bucket over and patting the top before wiggling it loose. The pile of sand stood for a moment, but the side slowly began to crumble. Rey didn’t seem to pay it much mind. 

** **

“Oh, uh, yeah. They have weekends for the workers and stuff to preview. So, we’re going to go to that once they open it up. They are still in the middle of construction,” Ben recovered, eyes now fixed on her crumbling sandcastle.

** **

“Daddy, can we go swimming now?” Will piped up, having finished decorating his own sandy abode and now anxious for something else to do. 

** **

“Sure, bud. Let’s just get your hat off first.” The toddler came over to him, offering him the bucket hat to put away. Ben applied a bit more sunscreen to his face for good measure. 

** **

Rey stood up while he did so, brushing the sand off of her legs and Ben was thankful for the distraction of his son so he didn’t get himself in trouble with his wandering eyes. 

** **

“I’ll join you guys,” she said, taking off her sunglasses and tossing them into one of the beach chairs. 

** **

“Oh, you don’t have to. I’m sure you have other things to do,” Ben said quickly. It wasn’t that he didn’t want her to stay, but he was almost certain she was just doing it to be nice. There was no way someone like her didn’t have something better to do than to hang out with him and his son. 

** **

Not that there was anything wrong with him and Will, but she was young and most certainly had friends to spend time with on what seemed to be her day off. 

** **

“I don’t actually, and even if I did, I would rather do this,” Rey said smoothly, already beginning to head toward the water. Will took off after her, his little legs carrying him as quickly as they could. She laughed as he ran past and began to jog to keep up with the toddler. “Come on, daddy! Don’t want to get left behind!” Rey called over her shoulder, laughing as she easily caught up to Will, scooping him up as he reached the water’s edge. 

** **

Ben blinked a few times, slowly standing and following them into the water, completely dumbstruck by the girl that was Rey. 

** **

The thing that caught him so off guard was how good she was with Will. To be fair, Will was not a shy child. He could talk to anyone and everyone. So, it wasn’t exactly a surprise that Will got on well with Rey. No, what was a surprise was that Rey got on well with Will. She played every little game and talked back and forth with the toddler like it was second nature. They talked about sharks, their favorite colors, and whether or not chocolate was better than vanilla. 

** **

It was during her conversation with his son that Ben learned about Rey. He learned that she once went diving with sharks and had about five mason jars full of sharks teeth that she has collected since moving here four years ago. He learned that her favorite color was yellow because it reminded her of sunflowers and summer. He also found out that she preferred strawberry ice cream more than chocolate or vanilla. 

** **

Ben chimed in every once and a while when a question was directed at him, but he mostly watched as they sat in the shallow surf, Will holding onto Rey’s hands as he kicked his feet and floated in the clear blue water. It hit him then, that in this very moment, Rey was acting more like a mother than Bazine ever had—and they had only known her for two days. 

** **

It was a startling realization, how much Bazine had neglected her duties as a mother, but then again, Ben had known she was not a good mother. It just hadn’t sunk in exactly how absent she was until that very moment. Here he was, on the beach with a girl who might as well have been a perfect stranger, and she had been a better mother figure in the span of an hour than Bazine had been in Will’s entire life. 

** **

Eventually, Ben cut in. "We need to get more sunscreen on you, buddy. We don't want you getting a sunburn," he said as he stood, scooping the small boy out of the water as he began to make his way toward shore. Rey trailed behind them and Ben made sure to keep his eyes forward despite how tempting it was to watch the rivulets of water dance their way down her golden skin. 

** **

"You could probably use some sunscreen too, Ben. Your shoulders are looking a little pink," Rey piped up as they neared their spot. Ben set Will down, digging into one of the many beach bags on the large blanket they had set up for a towel and sunscreen. 

** **

"Yeah… I'll put some on," he said, his voice a bit more husky than he planned. Ben cleared his throat, wrapping the towel around Will to help the toddler dry off. It was pushing just past noon now. He knew the boy wouldn't last too much longer before he was in need of a nap. "We will probably only be here another hour or so. He's going to need a nap." 

** **

Ben began to slather sunscreen over his son's pale skin, taking extra care to make sure he got everywhere. He hadn't experienced a toddler with a sunburn, but something told him he didn't want to. Rey hummed in acknowledgement and he could hear her rummaging, probably going through her own bag. 

** **

"Of course." A pause. "I was thinking, I know this great beach bar. Super family friendly. They do live music and stuff. Plus, they have the best seafood." Another pause and what sounded like a shaky breath. Was she nervous? "I was thinking that we could get dinner. All three of us, that is." Ben faltered in his movements before quickly recovering and finishing with the sunscreen. 

** **

"You don't have to keep offering to do stuff with us, Rey. We just met," He replied softly, not turning to face her just yet. Ben took a deep breath, standing and finally looking at her. He was not ready for the gut punch that was her expression. She was looking down, her plush bottom lip caught between her teeth, and when she flicked her eyes up, catching his gaze through her lashes - Ben forgot how to breathe. 

** **

"I know and I want to do stuff with you guys. I've honestly had a lot of fun the last couple of days. If you don't want to come, that's fine. I'd like for you to consider it, though," She said, almost demure as she spoke. It was so different from the playful, saucy girl she typically presented. He grit his teeth as she took a step forward, taking the sunscreen from his hand slowly, eyes never leaving his. 

** **

"Okay…" Ben finally said, eyes flicking down to her hands as she opened the cap, squirting sunscreen into her palms. He dared to glance away, checking on Will for a moment. The toddler seemed blissfully unaware, playing with a toy truck about ten feet away. 

** **

When he looked back to Rey, she was standing in front of him now, head tilted back slightly as she looked up at him. "Let me help," she murmured, reaching up and running her sunscreen slicked palms over his broad shoulders. Her touch was soft, her small hands massaging the cream into his shoulders and Ben bit back a groan, eyes fluttering closed despite himself. 

** **

Her hands travelled across his shoulders, her fingers brushing the column of his throat as she worked the sunscreen into his skin. Ben could hear his pulse in his ears and only hoped that she couldn’t feel it beneath her fingers. She shifted her attention to his chest now, smoothing her palms over his pectorals and Ben didn’t dare to open his eyes. Her touch was heavenly. The last time he had been touched like this was well over a year ago. If not longer. 

** **

He didn’t realize how much he missed it. 

** **

While Rey was not overly forward with her touch, it still had blood rushing south and Ben was sure he was going to bite straight through his bottom lip. “Is this okay?” she asked softly, her voice barely audible over the crashing waves and the gulls crying overhead. 

** **

Ben felt his cheeks flush with color. He did not dare open his eyes. “Y-yeah…,” he managed hoarsely, sounding utterly wrecked. 

** **

“Turn around… I need to get your back,” Rey instructed, her hands finally leaving his skin. Ben turned slowly, hearing the clicking sound of the sunscreen bottle as he let out a ragged breath. He dared to open his eyes, staring down at the sand as Rey began to rub the lotion into his skin once more. 

** **

“Tell me, how does an architect maintain such a physique?” she asked, her breath ghosting across one of his shoulder blades, making him shiver. 

** **

“I, uhm, I run and lift…” he replied, swallowing thickly as she hummed behind him, her hands now sliding down his sides and around to the small of his back. She presses her thumbs there, working a knot loose that he didn’t even know he had. 

** **

“You should try yoga… Would help loosen you up. You’re incredibly tight,” Rey said offhandedly, unaware of what she was doing to him. Although, Ben was quite certain she knew what she was doing, but he didn’t know why. Why was someone like Rey bothering with someone like him? What could she possibly want from a newly divorced, single father? He honestly didn’t know. Ben knew he didn’t have much to offer anyone. Especially not someone like Rey. 

“I’ll look into it,” he offered in return, licking his lips and letting out another shaky breath as the very tips of her fingers dipped beneath the waistband of his trunks. They were gone just as quickly as the waves retreating on the shore, but Ben’s head was still spinning. 

** **

Then, it was over. She stepped back and made a satisfied noise. “Alright, daddy. You are good to go,” Rey said, grinning as he slowly turned back to face her. Rey was still holding the bottle in her hands and Ben was confused for a moment before she began to slather the white liquid onto her own skin. 

** **

He looked back down, suddenly busying himself with finding the book he had brought with him and settling into the almost too small beach chair. Ben kept his nose firmly buried between the pages of his book, not daring to look. She was killing him. Absolutely killing him. 

** **

Ben dug his toes into the sand as he clenched his thighs, hoping to redirect his blood flow to anywhere but his aching cock. It was wrong. So wrong. She was at least ten years younger than him. Easily. Too fucking young. Except she wasn’t because she was an adult. Even with a ten year difference that would put her at twenty five. Still, she was too young for him. Too young to want him. Right? Ben’s thoughts clouded his brain and he reread the same line for the seventh time, much to his dismay. 

** **

Just then, Rey pulled him from his torment only to make him suffer further. “Can you put some on my back? I can never reach it.” She offered him the sunscreen, standing in front of him and smiling oh-so-sweetly. This was it. This is how he died. 

** **

He opened and closed his mouth, seeming to forget the basics of English as he unstuck his tongue from the roof of his mouth. “Sure,” Ben barely managed, taking the proffered sunscreen from her. She turned, plopping down in front of him on her knees, her back to him. Her little yellow bikini bottoms had ridden up, revealing more of her tight ass to his eyes and Ben struggled to avert his gaze. 

** **

“Whenever you’re ready, daddy,” she purred, glancing at him over her shoulder at him, a devilish smirk curled onto her lips. Ben swallowed thickly, squirting sunscreen into his hands and beginning to work it into her skin. She was so small and warm. His hands easily spanned the whole of her back and Ben couldn’t help but think about how damn easy it would be to move her. He bet that he could fully encircle her waist with his grasp. He swallowed thickly, his cock twitching in his swim trunks as he tried and failed to not think about how easily he could shift her to whatever position he wanted. 

** **

Rey wasn’t exactly helping, either. She let out little sighs and her breath hitched as she shivered beneath his touch. It was cruel, the way she responded to him. Ben wanted to know how else he could elicit such sweet sounds from her. He was going to Hell and it would be because of Rey, a girl he could never have. A girl he didn’t deserve to have. Fuck if he didn’t want her, though. 

** **

Thankfully, Ben finished before his soul has a chance to depart from the mortal coil that was his life. He wiped the excess sunscreen onto the spare towel in his lap before putting the bottle away. Rey stood up slowly, grabbing her towel and moving from beneath the safety of the shade, spreading her baby blue beach towel out in the sun. Ben tried to keep his eyes off of her as she lowered herself onto her hands and knees. She had placed herself right in front of him, her bikini bottoms still rucked up between the round globes of her ass, as she slowly lowered herself down onto her forearms. Her spine curved in a way that was surely illegal and Ben nearly bit off the tip of his tongue to keep from groaning. Finally, she was laying on her stomach, arms crossing in front of her, legs kicking back and forth slowly as she lazed in the warm California sun. 

** **

He didn’t know how he was going to survive tonight or even the rest of the day if the past few hours were anything to go by. 

** **

Ben Solo was utterly fucked. 

** **

By some miracle or harsh reminder from himself that she would never want him, Ben finally focused back on his book, reading for the next hour and a half while Will played beside him and Rey continued to tease him. The alarm on his phone went off, bringing an end to all three of their activities. Then began the process of packing their stuff and wrangling a four year old hovering on the verge of an utter meltdown.

** **

“I don’t wanna go home!” Will huffed, stomping his foot as he pouted up at his father uncharacteristically. He knew they should have left earlier, but he had been a bit too distracted by a certain someone in a yellow bikini to get them packed up. It was his own damn fault they were doing this now.

** **

“I wanna stay here and play!” His son whined, his bottom lip trembling dangerously. 

** **

“I know, buddy, but we need to take a break. You need to rest so we can come back tomorrow,” Ben tried to reason with him, kneeling down in front of his toddler while Rey continued to help pack their things into his Jeep. 

** **

“ _ I don’t wanna! _ ” Will practically wailed, stamping his tiny foot again, his hands balled into tight little fists at his sides. There were tears brimming in his eyes now, threatening to spill at any moment.

** **

Then like an angel, Rey swept in, “How about, after we have a nap and dinner, we come back to watch the sunset? How does that sound?” She reached out, gently rubbing his arm and miraculously soothing the ticking time bomb that was his son. 

** **

Will sniffled, bottom lip still trembling, but his hands were no longer fists by his sides. “That sounds okay…” he mumbled, blinking a few times to clear the tears in his eyes.

** **

“I bet if we’re good for the rest of the day, we could even get ice cream before,” she murmured, offering him a conspiratory smile before straightening up to stand once more. Ben gave her a smile of his own, hoping it conveyed just how grateful he was for her in that moment. Rey tossed him a wink, returning to her previous task of loading the Jeep. 

** **

“Alright, bud. Let’s get you in the car, okay?” Ben reached for his hand, leading him to the vehicle. 

** **

*********

After a bath and about four pinky promises that they would indeed go get ice cream and watch the sunset on the beach, Ben finally got Will washed and put down for a nap. Rey had come back to their place to get cleaned up since she had brought a change of clothes in her beach bag. Ben had been more than willing for her to come along. Even if it meant driving all the way back home with her in nothing but that little bikini.

** **

Now, Rey was in his bathroom, washing the sand and salt water from her person. Ben did his best not to think about that. The fact that she was naked and wet in his bathroom—washing with his soap, using his towels. It was almost too much and he had been through more than enough today. The fact that they still had the whole evening to get through was another issue entirely that Ben didn’t know how he was going to handle. However, he was determined to enjoy whatever time Rey deemed him worthy of having. 

** **

Ben paused outside of his bedroom door, listening for running water before slowly pushing open the door once he confirmed that Rey was still in the shower. He went to his dresser, grabbing something to change into. Ben was so busy killing himself over which shirt to wear to dinner that night that he did not hear the shower turn off or the door open, steam spilling out in a cloud. He looked up just in time to see Rey, clad in only a towel that fell to just about midthigh, her hair slicked back from her face. Drops of water clung to her skin and lashes, catching the sunlight that washed in through the large windows. She looked otherworldly and it only made Ben believe further that she was surely an angel. 

** **

“I’m sorry,” he said quickly once his brain caught up with the rest of him and he averted his eyes, guilt tugging on his features. Rey didn’t seem bothered one bit by him seeing her this way. She moved past him slowly to where her clothes were laid out on the bed. 

** **

“Why?” she asked, her back to him now as she ran her fingers through her hair, shaking it out. 

** **

“I-” Ben swallowed thickly, licking his lips as he stared at her back, eyes following the gentle line of her throat and shoulders. Despite the fact that he had seen her in less than this earlier, the bikini she had been wearing leaving very little to the imagination, this seemed more intrusive. Perhaps because beneath that towel, he knew, her skin was not hidden from anything else. All it would take was for her grip to slip and he would be able to drink all of her in. He craved that chance, but his stomach twisted with guilt at the thought. 

** **

Rey dropped her towel and Ben sucked in a breath, averting his gaze quickly as if he would turn to stone for gazing on her. “Oh, come on. It isn’t anything you haven’t seen before. You do have a kid.” She paused and Ben heard the rustling of fabric, “Unless you’re going to tell me that you cut a hole in the sheet and did it that way,” Rey teased, taking a few steps towards him and suddenly her hand was resting on his bicep. 

** **

Ben jerked, spinning to face her now, his eyes wide and practically bulging out of his head as he looked down at her. She was thankfully dressed now. Even though her sundress didn’t do much to hide her figure. He could still see her nipples straining against the thin floral fabric, the tight bodice showing just how tiny her waist was before flaring out into a skirt that fell mid thigh, showing off her long legs. 

** **

“Uh, no. I- I’ve-,” he stuttered, eyes flicking down to where her hand was resting on his bicep, her thumb tracing lightly over the muscle beneath his skin. 

** **

“You’ve what, Ben? Seen a naked woman?” she hummed, her eyes glinting mischievously as she regarded him, her lips curling into that smirk that drove him completely mad. Her head was tilted back slightly, the column of her throat teasing him, inviting him to lean down and claim the skin with his mouth. Ben managed a nod, having lost his voice due to whatever spell she had cast on him. “Lucky woman…” Rey murmured, licking her lips as her eyes flicked down for a moment and Ben swore that she was looking at his lips, but he pushed that thought aside. 

** **

She stood there a moment longer, her thumb still brushing across his skin in a way that had his cock painfully hard in his trunks and he prayed that she didn’t notice, but he knew that would be asking for too much. “Lucky woman, indeed.” Rey’s smirk grew practically fiendish before she caged her bottom lip between her teeth, giving his arm a little squeeze. Ben wanted to die for what seemed like the fiftieth time that day as he watched Rey retreat from his room, leaving him hot and aching in her wake. 

** **

As soon as the door closed, he all but bolted for the bathroom, stripping down and climbing into the shower. The water stung his skin, the heat biting into him in a way that only seemed to rile him up further. He braced his forearm against the cold tile, shivering at the contrast. Ben tried to keep his hand away from his throbbing length, but as soon as his palm brushed against the weeping tip of his cock, he was done for. 

** **

Had Ben Solo been a stronger man, he would have ignored the ache and the way precum was beading at the head of his cock, begging to be touched. However, he was not a stronger man and he had been ignoring this near insistent ache for the last six hours. He could not deny himself any longer. And  _ Rey _ … Rey knew what she was doing. She knew what she was doing to him. She knew and yet she just kept pushing. Why? Why was she torturing him? What had he done to deserve this punishment? It was cruel and yet Ben didn’t want her to stop whatever game it was they were playing. 

** **

He gingerly wrapped his hand around his shaft, the heat searing into his palm as his hips jerked. Ben bit harshly into his lip to keep from crying out, his head hanging forward as water streamed across his back. He slowly began to pump his fist, hips rolling to meet the movement of his fist on their own volition. Ben felt the heat in his belly already beginning to bubble over, his balls tightening as his breathing became more haggard, his movements more frantic. 

** **

_ “Lucky woman, indeed.” _

** **

Her voice cut through his lust addled brain, but only serving to add fuel to the fire as he recalled the way she looked up at him. Her eyes had devoured him and she hadn’t bothered to hide her intentions as she spoke. It was cruel. So fucking cruel of her. Yet, he loved every second of it. He loved the way she pranced around, teasing him while wearing short little dresses and tiny bikinis that did nothing to hide her body from him. The way she practically fucked him with her eyes. Calling him  _ daddy _ . 

** **

With that final thought, Ben came hard. His whole body trembled as he shot thick, white ropes of cum across the tiles of the shower. He gasped for breath, his knees threatening to give out as he braced himself against the wall, his hips still twitching minutely as he grasped himself. 

** **

After Ben came down from his post orgasm high more quickly than he would like, thanks to the guilt of what he just did hitting him like a punch to the gut, he finally washed away the evidence of what he’d done. He dried off roughly, his hair already curling at the ends as it dried. Ben yanked on his jeans and a maroon button down, rolling the sleeves to his elbows before padding out of his room and toward the kitchen. 

** **

Rey was sitting on the couch, her legs tucked beneath her as she scrolled on her phone. She looked up as he passed, grinning up at him, “Enjoy your shower, daddy?” She teased, her expression telling him that she knew  _ exactly _ what he had been doing in the shower. 

** **

Ben flushed all the way to the roots of his hair, grabbing a beer from the fridge, popping the top on it as he collapsed into one of the open chairs across from Rey. Two could play at this game. If she was going to pick on him, then he would pick right back. It was probably one of the stupidest ideas he ever had, but he would be damned if she bested him.

** **

“It was just what I needed, princess. Really helped me relax,” he replied, taking a swig of his beer, eyes leveled on her as he waited. She blinked, her lips parting as she stared at him, taken aback. Ben felt a small surge of victory at having rendered her speechless for a moment. 

** **

However, Rey was not one to be deterred and she came right back at him with more brazen tenacity than he was expecting. Which, he really should have expected it, given the fact that this girl had spent the past two days diving him up the wall. 

** **

“Now, just think how relaxed you’d be had I been with you, daddy,” Rey hummed, glancing up from her phone to lock eyes with him. Her hazel eyes blazing as she dared him to rise to the challenge. 

** **

However, Ben was saved from it by his son coming into the living room, rubbing at his eyes as he clutched his plush shark. “Hey, buddy… Did you have a good nap?” he asked as Will came over to him, crawling into his lap with a little bit of effort. 

** **

Will nodded, letting his head rest against Ben’s chest as he held tightly to his shark, clearly not ready to do much talking. Ben rubbed his back gently, letting the toddler wake up slowly. Silence permeated the space, settling over them like a weighted blanket. 

** **

After about ten minutes, Will finally spoke, head still tucked beneath his chin, “Yes, daddy. I needed it.” He mumbled, a yawn pushing past his lips as he laid against his father. Ben smiled, pressing a kiss to the top of his son’s curly hair, breathing deeply and feeling a sense of calm wash over him. He dared a glance at Rey, drinking in her soft expression. There was something shining in her eyes, tender and sweet, as she watched the two of them together. 

** **

“I find that naps fix most problems. Don’t you, Will?” Rey questioned the four year old, a gentle smile curled on her luscious pink lips. 

** **

“Naps are good. Daddy and I take a nap together almost everyday when I don’t have school,” Will said, more strength in his voice now that he was waking up, reinvigorated from his nap. 

** **

“I’m jealous. I don’t get to take many naps anymore,” she replied, shifting on the couch to lean her cheek into her palm as she met Will’s gaze.

** **

Will pushed away from Ben’s chest, sitting up as his expression turned incredibly serious, “You should take more naps, Miss Rey. They’re good for you and keep the grumpies away.” He said it with such conviction that Rey arched a brow, amusement dancing in her eyes now. 

** **

“Oh yeah? Who told you that?” Rey asked, laughing softly.

** **

“Daddy told me. That’s why we take naps. ‘Cause we gotta keep the grumpies away,” he told her, tilting his head back to look up at his father, “Right, daddy?” Will asked, waiting for his father to validate his words. 

** **

“That’s right, buddy.” Ben huffed with a laugh, giving Will a gentle squeeze and his son beamed at the confirmation, turning back to face Rey.

** **

“Well, daddy has spoken, then.” She hummed, looking over Will’s head to lock eyes with Ben again, the heat from before burning in the hazel depths. Ben was struck by just how expressive her eyes were and he drew in a deep breath. 

** **

“Alright, now that you’ve woken up a bit let's get you dressed.” Will nodded, slipping off of Ben’s lap before padding over toward Rey, offering her his stuffed shark.

** **

“Will you watch Mr. White?” he asked, holding the great white with both hands around its plush belly.

** **

“Sure, we’ll keep each other company,” Rey replied, taking the shark from him gently and placing it in her lap with a fond pat. Will grinned, seeming more than satisfied with the exchange before he went to grab his dad’s hand, following him upstairs to get dressed.

** **

*********

Almost an hour later, they were seated at a table outside on a deck, the temperate, California breeze blowing off the water and cooling their skin. Will was coloring on the kids menu while Rey and Ben perused their own menus. 

** **

“You should try the coconut shrimp. It is really good here,” Rey suggested, flicking her eyes up to his from over the top of her menu. 

** **

Ben hummed in response, glancing back down at the plastic sheathed paper, pursing his lips. “Or the Mahi-mahi. Any of the seafood, really. You can’t exactly go wrong,” she continued, folding her menu and taking a sip of her drink. Some fruity little thing that she insisted was the best drink here. 

** **

He had one of his own sitting in front of him, untouched, thanks to Rey’s meddling. Not that he minded her meddling. If anything, he was growing used to it. Even if they had only known each other for two days, Ben couldn’t help but feel that Rey had seen more of the real him in those two days than anyone else had. Besides Will, of course. 

** **

To say that he was a private person would be an understatement. He kept to himself at work as much as possible, getting his work done so he could get home to Will. Ben didn’t really go out. Nor did he really have many friends. Besides Armitage Hux, his oldest friend from college. They were close still and Will utterly adored him. Even going so far as to call him Uncle Armie. Besides that, Ben was alone. Which meant, there was no one to open up to. No one who saw past his practiced facade besides a select few. 

** **

Yet here was Rey, having wormed her way under the carefully crafted wall he protected himself with and Ben found himself not minding. Despite the vulnerability he felt, he welcomed her. It was a relief not having to be on guard. To not have to keep himself protected so he and Will didn’t get hurt again. Rey wasn’t going to hurt them. He could tell. 

** **

Ben knew this wasn’t going to last. It was an acquaintance for the summer. Any hurt that he felt would be on him for letting her in. A part of him worried for Will. He worried that allowing him to get attached, to bond with Rey, might hurt the boy. He didn’t want that, but at the same time, he didn’t dare keep Will from experiencing such affection from someone else. The boy deserves love. He deserved it more than Ben did, surely. 

** **

Ben had his chance. He chose poorly and lost his wife while gaining the best thing to ever happen to him in his son. His son’s love was enough. More than enough. This thing with Rey… Whatever it was that they were doing was temporary and he was okay with that. Even if nothing happened, to be wanted like this was something that he would cherish for the time that he had it. 

** **

“What’re you getting, Will?” Rey’s voice cut through his thoughts, pulling him back into the present once more. She was still sipping her drink and Will was carefully drinking his pineapple juice from the kids tiki cup that the waiter had brought it in. He set his cup down, licking his lips.

** **

“I’m gonna get the coconut shrimp like you said, Miss Rey!” Will stated, going back to coloring the fish on his menu.

** **

“I don’t think that is on the kids menu, bud,” Ben replied with a frown before adding, “And since when do you like coconut?” 

** **

“Since Mr. Pio made me coconut macaroons,” his son replied matter of factly, picking up the blue crayon to work on the shark next.

** **

Ben blinked as Rey arched a brow, “My mother’s butler…,” he supplied to Rey, finally picking up his drink and taking a sip. His brows rose in surprise and he licked his lips. 

** **

Rey grinned, her expression practically screaming ‘I told you so.’ 

** **

“I bet you could get an extra side of the coconut shrimp and some other sides for Will. Then he could have that too,” she suggested, hands folded in front of her.

** **

“Yeah, I suppose we could do that,” Ben said slowly, relieved she hadn’t asked for an explanation about the butler comment.

** **

Shortly after, the waiter came to collect their orders and Ben did as Rey suggestested before ordering the blackened Mahi-mahi for himself while Rey also got the shrimp. 

** **

The rest of dinner passed easily. Ben and Rey talked about simple stuff. The kind of conversation that was light, skimming over the surface without diving deep.

** **

He learned that she came here for karaoke on Friday nights and that she was friends with the bartender, Poe. Ben definitely didn’t feel a hot flare of jealousy when the man in question came by to say hi and embraced Rey so familiarly. He also learned that she liked to restore furniture in her spare time and often did custom pieces for people on the side. She taught a yoga class at the senior center and also had been practicing for years herself. 

** **

Ben cherished every little bit of information he gleaned from her, tucking them all away for safekeeping. She was unbelievable. So full of life and light. Ben couldn’t help but bask in her glow. 

** **

Finally, after they had cleared their plates and finished their drinks, Ben picked up the check. Rey tried to give him cash for her portion, but he insisted. 

** **

“You’ve spent pretty much all day with us. Let me get dinner at least. Please.”

** **

She agreed with a sigh, but he saw the smile playing on her lips as they got up to leave. As Ben had promised, they ended the night with ice cream and the beach, walking along the shore slowly. Will was between Rey and Ben, having finished his ice cream and now holding on to both of their hands as they watched the sun sink below the horizon. The sky was painted in vibrant shades of pink, purple, and orange and Ben wished he could freeze this moment. He wanted to live in it a little longer, but the sun slipped beneath the waves, taking the last of the day with it.

** **

Will fell asleep in his car seat on the way to Rey’s place and Ben shut off the car as he pulled into the driveway of her small cottage. He walked her to the door, hands shoved in his pockets as he basked in the remnants of the day and her soft smile. 

** **

“I had a lot of fun today. Thank you for letting me come along and thank you for coming out with me,” Rey murmured, leaning against her door as she looked up at him, her head tilted back as she smiled. Her cheeks were still flushed from the drinks and her skin was glowing beneath the soft light of her porch light.

** **

“Thank you… Will really likes you. You’re good with him,” he replied softly, shifting on the balls of his feet. 

** **

“I like him too. You’ve got a good kid, Ben.” She paused, regarding him thoughtfully, “You’re a good dad. In case no one has ever told you.” Rey said, smiling up at him. Her expression was a lot more subdued than before, but her eyes still lit up as she looked at him. 

** **

“I try…” Ben looked down, rubbing the back of his neck as his cheeks flushed. He suddenly didn’t know what to do. Did he hug her? Did he just leave? He wasn’t sure, so he just stood there, hands stuffed in his pockets as he looked down at Rey. 

** **

She made the decision for him, stepping forward and rising onto her tiptoes, pressing her petal soft lips to his cheek. “I can see that… Goodnight, Ben. Don’t be a stranger,” Rey murmured, turning to step into her home, closing the door softly behind her.

** **

Ben let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding before slowly walking back to his car, his head swimming. 

** **

It wasn’t until he got home that night, tucking Will in and falling into bed himself that he finally realized what had happened. Rey had kissed him. On the cheek, but a kiss no less. Part of him, the rational part, knew that it was nothing more than a friendly peck, but the hopeful part - the part of him that still craved a partner in life - took heart in what had happened. 

** **

With that final thought of Rey’s lips on his cheek, Ben fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed this chapter!
> 
> Let me know what you think is going to happen! I love reading your comments and guesses as to what the next chapter holds!
> 
> Follow my socials for updates!  
Tumblr: artiowritestrash  
Twitter: CaitlinTaylorM1


	3. Chocolate Chips

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello hello hello!
> 
> I am here! I wrote a thing! It took me a really long time and I worked really hard on this. Believe when I say that life has been a fucking nightmare for me. 
> 
> I know many of you have kept up with my personal update on here and I haven't included everything that has happened in that. There is a lot to say the least.
> 
> That being said, I am excited to share this with you guys. I know you all have been waiting for ages and I really hope you like it. I'm glad to be working on it again. I don't know if I will have an exact update schedule. I am easing back into it and my other fics might still be on hold until I finish this one so I don't overwhelm myself. I thank you all for being so understanding.
> 
> Thank you to my lovely beta ladyofreylo. I couldn't have done this without you!
> 
> Alright, enough from me! Enjoy!

> [](//imgur.com/kd5biMi)

Ben didn’t see Rey for a little over a week.

While he was sorely tempted to seek her out. He kept his distance. Not only for his sake, but for Will’s too. Yes, he wanted his son to create connections and receive affection from someone other than himself and his grandparents, but Ben was worried. He was worried about what would happen if he let Will get too attached to Rey.

He knew, at the end of the summer, they would go home and back to their lives without her. That would be even harder to do if Will saw her as something  _ more _ . Ben couldn’t even think about what that fall out would be like. It made his heart clench painfully when he did. He didn’t want Will to go through that again. 

While he hadn’t been close with his mother- despite the fact that he was only four years old and should have been- Will still felt the loss acutely. There were a few times during the first month that he had woken up sobbing for Bazine and Ben was helpless to do anything but hold him, trying his best to soothe the heartbroken boy. 

Those were the nights that Ben resented her the most. 

Ben could handle her not loving him. He could handle her fucking other men. He could handle the lack of conversation, affection, connection, and everything else that came with being in a relationship. He could handle the resentful look in her eyes. He could handle her wanting nothing to do with him. 

What he couldn’t handle was the way her lip would curl in disgust when Will reached for her. He couldn’t handle how she would ignore his cries when all he wanted was his mother. He couldn’t handle the way she blatantly rejected her own child. He couldn’t handle watching his son shut down because of his mother.

If Ben was honest with himself, that was why he really left. Sure, her bringing another man into their bed- into their home- had pushed him over the edge. However, he had been balanced precariously on that edge for months. Whatever hope was holding him back broke that day. 

He hadn’t wanted to turn Will’s world upside down.

In the end, he hadn’t been the one to do so. Bazine had when she brought that man home while their son was there. She made the choice for them at that moment. Ben just got them out before any more damage could be done. 

Which was why he was so hesitant now.

He was afraid that they would both be hurt. Not on purpose. Rey wouldn’t do that. Not if she could help it. He knew that deep in his heart, but there would be pain.

This was temporary.  _ Rey _ was temporary. 

A relationship built with her wouldn’t last. At the end of summer it would wash away like sand down a drain after a day at the beach. Was a relationship with her worth that? Were the moments of laughter and sunshine worth the heartache? Could Will even handle it? 

Part of him thought that he should ask his son how he felt. He was rather mature for his age, seeming to have a deeper understanding of things than most four year olds, but was he old enough to understand this? 

Ben heaved a sigh, rubbing at his eyes as he sat on the balcony, watching the sun begin to rise. The light breaking through the soft clouds, bathing him in warmth. He hadn’t been sleeping well thanks to his restless mind. Ben hadn’t stopped weighing the pros and cons since their dinner together last week, either. 

He thought that giving himself some space would help him clear his head. Why he thought that would work, he didn’t know. If anything, his thoughts were murkier than before. 

Ben couldn’t stop thinking about her.

He pushed out of the chair he was lounging in and headed back inside. They were quickly coming up on the fourth of July this next Saturday and Ben was trying to formulate a plan. 

He  _ wanted _ to see Rey. He  _ wanted _ to ask her to go to the carnival with him and Will. 

Ben couldn’t bring himself to do it, though. It seemed like he would be crossing a line.

If he did this, he would be taking a step that he couldn’t take back. 

If things didn’t go well, it could be detrimental. Not only because of the potential heartbreak for him, but his son. It was the issue he’d been warring with for the last week. 

Ben was pulled from his thoughts by a knock at the door and he frowned, checking his watch. Who the hell was knocking on his door at 5:30 in the morning? He slowly made his way towards the front door, turning the deadbolt, and pulling it open. 

Of all the things he was expecting, a sweaty Rey in a pair of running shorts and a sports bra, was not one. He blinked, mouth hanging open as he stared at her. 

She was panting, little wisps of hair sticking to her forehead as she smiled up at him. “Hi.” Rey breathed, hands braced on her hips as she continued to catch her breath.

“Uh, hi… What are you doing here?” Ben managed once he unstuck his tongue from the roof of his mouth, suddenly very aware of the fact that he was standing there shirtless in only a pair of black briefs. 

Rey ran her eyes over his form, lingering on his exposed chest and briefly his crotch, before her eyes finally met his again. “I was running and I thought I’d stop by. I hadn’t seen you in a while.” She paused, bottom lip going between her teeth and Ben drew in a shaky breath as he attempted to keep his eyes on hers instead of her incredibly toned legs.

That wasn’t much better. They were more green today, little flecks of gold floating in the emerald pools. All of her was a crime. From the top of her head, where her hair was pulled back into some kind of messy bun, all the way down to her well worn tennis shoes.

“Yeah… We’ve just been busy.” Ben supplied lamley, the excuse sounded weak in his own ears and he grimaced at the flash of something bordering on hurt in her eyes.

“If I overstepped or made you uncomfortable-” She started.

“What? No! No, we’ve just been busy.” He cut her off, rubbing the back of his neck as he looked down sheepishly. His cheeks flushed and he swallowed thickly. 

“Because if I’ve done anything, I would want to know.” Rey murmured, taking a small step forward, her hand braced against the door frame beside his. 

“It isn’t anything to do with you… This is all just so complicated.” She nodded, offering him a soft smile that left his knees feeling weak.

“It doesn’t have to be.” She said softly, her thumb brushing against his lightly. His entire focus zeroed in on that one spot. It was the smallest of movements. Barely anything at all and yet it made his whole world tip onto its side. It took him longer than he wanted to finally form a coherent thought.

“It will be no matter what, Rey. Even if we are just friends… I have to think about Will.” Ben swallowed thickly, his throat feeling tight as he looked down at her. She was so close he could feel the body heat rolling off of her and see the sheen of sweat on her skin. 

It was too much.

His flesh burned where she was touching him. A touch so innocent and yet he was drunk off of it. “I know… I get that, really. But have you ever considered that I can handle complicated? Whatever that entails.” She was even closer now, less than a foot between them, her head tilted back slightly to look up at him.

He drew in a shaky breath, working his jaw as he looked down at her. She was too fucking beautiful. It wasn’t  _ fair. _ None of it was fair. 

“Rey…” He breathed, closing his eyes as if he was in pain as her other hand came up, fingers brushing along his arm. Her touch was incredibly light. No more than a whisper against his skin. Sea spray coming in off the ocean.

“Won’t you let me try? Would that really be so bad?” Rey whispered, taking another step forward, crowding his space and causing his breath to catch in his throat.

“We barely know each other.” Ben replied weakly, finally forcing his eyes open and finding hers staring up at him. He was going to lose this if he wasn’t careful. Lose himself to her. “You’re young and we literally only met just over a week ago.”

“Then let’s change that… My name is Rey. I like collecting shark teeth. I live alone. I’m studying engineering online. I don’t know who my parents are and my best friend is named Finn. Is that enough to at least get us started?” 

Ben huffed out a breath, shaking his head, “That isn’t what I mean, Rey. Why are you even interested in me? I have a child and my wife wanted nothing to do with us. Does that not raise some red flags with you? It should.” He drew in another breath, trying to steel himself as he looked down at her, taking a small step back. “You don’t know what we’ve been through.” 

“I can’t get to know you if you don’t let me. Ben… You aren’t alone in this. You are never alone.” She murmured, licking her lips as she rose up on her toes, lips only inches from his. 

“Rey… I- How can you even say that?” He argued weakly. “What do you even know about that?”

“More than you might think…. Just let go for once, Ben. Let the past go for just one minute.” She breathed, fingers brushing along his arm as she followed him backward. “Can I kiss you? Please.” Rey whispered, the exhale of her words washing over his lips, light and warm.

Ben made a pained noise in his throat. Maybe she was right. Maybe he did need to let go. What would it hurt? To be with someone like her just once? Would it really matter all that much? He knew that it would. It would matter to him. It would matter to Will if she continued to hang around them. He knew that and yet he found himself giving her a terse nod, too afraid to speak. If he spoke, whatever this was might be broken and he would come to his senses.

Rey didn’t waste a second closing the rest of the space between them. The hand that had been brushing along his arm now clutching onto his bicep, the heat searing into his skin as her mouth slotted over his. 

He remained frozen in place, but Rey was having none of it.

His lack of response only made her more enthusiastic. She slid the tip of her tongue along his bottom lip, encouraging him to respond with each little pass. Her lips were softer than anything he had ever felt in his life. Soft, sweet, and  _ hot _ . So very hot. All of her was.

Her lips, her hand, everything. 

She was sunshine, afterall. Sunshine that had been poured into the form of a woman. Pure radiance and warmth exuded from her, seeping into him and melting the ice that had formed around his heart. 

Before he could even wrap his mind around the fact that Rey is  _ here  _ and  _ kissing _ him, she pushed him back from the threshold and kicked the door closed behind her. She’s panting again, her pupils blown wide and swallowing the hazel of her irises. Ben stumbled backwards, his own breaths coming out in quick bursts as he looked down at her.

“How long has it been? Since you’ve been with a woman?” She breathed, stalking towards him now, her hands slipping back up his bare chest and leaving a trail of fire in their wake. 

Ben took a step back, mind racing as he looked down at this storm of a woman bearing down on him. He swallowed thickly, throat tight and tongue sticking to the roof of his mouth. His lips part, but nothing comes out and he is left to stare dumbly down at her.

Rey smiles sweetly. Sweet and warm and like she is going to  _ ruin _ him. 

“Well?” She murmured, deciding that trailing her lips along his jaw was the best course of action even if she killed any thought that he was trying to form in his head. She doesn’t seem to care. Her lips blaze a trail along his jaw, seeming to be on a mission to make him as speechless as possible despite the fact that she asked him a question. Her teeth nip gently at his earlobe, drawing the sensitive flesh into her mouth before she released him, blowing a cool stream of air across his skin. 

He shivers, goosebumps erupting across his skin. Ben’s hands suddenly catch up with what is happening, finding her hips and gripping hard enough to bruise. He groaned deep in his throat, swallowing past the lump and finally forcing out a semi-coherent thought. “Almost five years.” Ben breathed, jerking as her nimble fingers found his nipple, pinching lightly. 

She freezed, pulling back from the spot she was favoring on his throat to look up at him. “You’re fucking kidding me, right?” Rey asked, disbelief clear in her voice. Her expression twists into something pained and Ben frowns, his gut tightening.

“We hadn’t slept together since Bazine found out she was pregnant with Will.” He supplied, feeling his cheeks flush with embarrassment. Rey reached up, cupping his cheek and stroking her thumb over his cheek gently. 

“You were wasted on her, Ben Solo.” She murmured, her hand curling gently into the hair at his nape and tugging his mouth back down to hers. This time Ben is able to fully participate, tugging her closer by her hips as his mouth covers hers. He briefly realized just how  _ small _ she is as his fingers almost touch at the small of her back as he brought her body flush against his. She is all heat and smooth flesh and just  _ perfection _ . 

His tongue slipped across the seam of her lips and she opened easily for him, making the sweetest sound as her tongue met his. She pushed him back gently towards the living room and they both stumbled blindly, not wanting to separate from each other for fear that it would end this moment that had barely begun.

He could already feel the heat gathering in his belly, his cock swelling in the confines of his briefs as he pressed against the softness of her belly. Ben’s fingertips dug into her hips almost hard enough to bruise as he tried to come to terms with the fact that Rey is  _ here _ and kissing  _ him _ . It was too much and yet not enough at the same time. 

However, Rey was already addressing that particular problem as she worked her hot little hand between their bodies, palming at his stiff cock as the back of his legs finally hit the arm of the couch and Rey urged him to sit with a light push against his chest. The new angle put him almost level with her chest and Ben couldn’t help leaning forward to mouth at her collarbone, licking a heated stripe against the hollow of her throat as she continued to palm at his cock, squeezing gently. He groaned against her the column of throat, hips bucking up into her touch despite himself. 

“I knew you were big, but I didn’t know how big. I don’t know that you’ll  _ fit _ .” She breathed against his temple, moving her hand into the front of his briefs, fingers slipping into his waistband as he worked on sucking a mark at her pulse point like a horny teenager staking claim. Ben shivered as her fingers brushed against the base of him, the feeling of her touch stealing his words once more and instead producing an almost pitiful whine.

Just as her hand is about to wrap around his length, the sound of tiny footsteps echoing down the hall upstairs caused them both to freeze.

“Daddy!” Will’s voice echoed down the stairs and Ben knew they had about ten seconds before being faced with a very curious toddler.

“Fuck…” Ben groaned, dropping his forehead against Rey’s shoulder as she pulled her hand from his briefs and instead tugged him up by his hair to press another kiss to his lips before she stepped back. Her eyes shine with a mixture of lust and regret at being interrupted. Ben took a deep breath, squeezing his own eyes closed before calling out, “I’m downstairs.” 

“I’ll come back, okay? Probably best for him to not find us like this.” She murmured softly, fingers still brushing through the hair at the nape of his neck. Ben managed a nod, finally releasing the hold he had on her hips so she could scurry out the door, casting one last look over her shoulder at him and flashing one of her signature smiles. It closed just as Will’s feet hit the last step and barreled into the living room, diving onto the couch Ben was currently perched on.

“Good morning, daddy.” Will sing songed as he wrapped his arms around his neck from behind, plastering himself to Ben’s back like an overly clingy octopus. 

“Morning, buddy. You’re up early. Sleep well?” He asked, turning his head slightly to look back at his son, grateful that his hard-on had finally started to dissipate. Nothing kills the mood like a toddler clinging to your back, it seemed. Will nodded against his back before propping his chin on his shoulder.

“Can we have pancakes for brea’fast?” Will smiled brightly at him, causing his dimples to make an appearance and Ben can’t help but nod. 

“Sure. We can make pancakes.” Ben replies, making to stand up, his son quickly adapting his hold to resemble that of a spider monkey as he hung onto his back.

“With choc’late chips?” Will pressed, giggling at his dad’s over dramatic sigh.

“Ever the negotiator…” He shook his head, grinning as he made his way towards the kitchen. Ben deposited Will on the counter, getting him a cup of juice. “I’m going to get dressed. Then we’ll start on pancakes, ‘kay?” 

Will gave him a thumbs up as he sipped his drink, legs swinging back and forth.

Ben hurried back upstairs, pulling on a pair of sweats and a white t-shirt before rejoining Will in the kitchen to begin the process that was making chocolate chip pancakes with the help of a four year old. Just as they are preparing to stir the chocolate chips into the batter there was a knock at the door and Will was already scrambling off of his stool to answer it.

“Hold on, Will. Don’t just go opening doors without-” Before he can finish his sentence Will was already turning the handle and pulling with all of his might.

“Miss Rey!” He exclaimed, letting the door swing open to reveal Rey. She’s freshly showered and back in one of those little sundresses that Ben loves to hate because of the way they hug her tiny waist and flirt with her hips. He can’t help but remember a mere hour ago how his hands had gripped her hips, dragging her body against his in a way that had left him dizzy. 

Will surged forward to hug her and Rey crouched down just in time to catch him in her arms, hugging him tightly, “Hey Will! Nice to see you again.” She said, smiling as she held the toddler, her eyes drifting closed in his embrace. Ben was pulled from his thoughts, his attention now claimed by the pair in front of him. 

Something caught in his chest at the sight. His breath hitching almost painfully and his heart seized for a moment as he watched Rey give his son the type of hug Bazine never did. He couldn’t tear his eyes away from the two, noticing the way Will’s hands clutched at the fabric of her dress and the way she held the back of his head as she drew him close. Ben wasn’t sure how long they stayed like that, but when they finally broke apart, Will had the biggest smile on his face.

“We’re making pancakes!” He was already taking a hold of Rey’s hand, dragging her toward the kitchen where Ben was waiting, a floral apron tied around his waist and rubber spatula in hand. “Daddy was gonna let me add the choc'late chips.” Will released her hand to return to his previous spot on the stool, grabbing the already opened bag of morsels. 

“Only a cup though. Last time you added way too many.” Ben reminded him, daring a glance at Rey over the top of Will’s head.

“I dunno… I think Will might have the right idea. The whole point of chocolate chip pancakes is the chocolate chips. Everyone knows that, Ben.” Rey retorted, leaning across the island with her arms crossed in front of her, giving Ben the perfect view of her cleavage. The same cleavage he was close to having his mouth on this morning. He cleared his throat, feeling his cheeks heat in a way that only seemed to happen around her. 

“Adding too many ruins the structural integrity of the pancakes,” he huffed, getting a measuring cup out for Will to use. “Besides, he doesn’t need that much sugar.” Ben handed Will the measuring cup, “Only one scoop. I mean it.”

“Only you would be concerned about the structural integrity of a literal breakfast cake that is going to be drowned in syrup. There is nothing structural about that at all!” Rey laughed, rolling her eyes as she reached into the bag and pulled out a few chips. She popped a couple into her mouth, grinning.

Ben pressed his lips together, squaring his shoulders, “You’re no better than him. Sugar monsters, the lot of you,” he grumbled, fighting the smile that was threatening to do him in.

“Awe, come on, daddy. Nothing wrong with a little sugar,” Rey cooed, her eyes gleaming wickedly as she watched him fidget. Ben felt the heat that had previously warmed his cheeks stir in his belly and he turned from her quickly to set up the griddle for the stovetop. 

The giggles ringing out from behind him caught his attention and he glanced back over his shoulder to catch Rey adding another scoop of chips to the batter. “Seriously? I said one scoop for a reason, Rey. He doesn’t need that much sugar,” he muttered, his tone more irritated than he intended. Ben tried to scoop some of the chocolate chips out that weren’t already mixed in. It was clear that there were still going to be more than he wanted. Short of remaking the batter, nothing could be done. 

“Sorry… I didn’t think it was that big of a deal,” she tried offering him a smile, seeming at least slightly remorseful to have gone against his wishes.

He sighed heavily, beginning to ladle some of the “batter” onto the griddle. It immediately began to sizzle, the smell of melted chocolate permeating the air. 

“I’mma go color now,” Will announced, no longer interested in helping now that his favorite part besides eating them was done. 

“Alright. Stay in the living room, okay?” Ben called after him, eyes locked onto the pancakes that were beginning to bubble. Ben felt her before she spoke, the heat of her seeping into his side.

“So, I take it you're a real expert on pancakes, huh? Given everything you know about their structural integrity and all that,” she teased, grinning up at him once he finally cut his eyes to her, irritation still knotting in his belly and replacing the pleasant heat that was there before, at her interference. 

“Make them a couple of dozen times and you get pretty well versed.” He slipped the spatula under one of the cakes, flipping it carefully as he took a deep breath.

“I don’t think I’ve ever really made pancakes on my own before, but I have eaten plenty. I guess you could say I’m a bit of an expert myself.” Rey watched him flip the next couple, eyes tracking each of his movements.

Ben cleared his throat, shifting awkwardly from foot to foot, wanting to salvage the situation, “Would you like to try?” He offered the spatula to her, shifting from his position in front of the griddle so she could center herself there.

“Uh, yeah. Sure. Never really been one to turn down a new experience,” she said, taking the spatula from him and looking down at the one pancake that was left unflipped. “So, I just-” Rey slipped the spatula beneath the cake, copying his movements from earlier. She paused after lifting it from the cooktop, bottom lip caught between her teeth. 

“You’ve got it. Just turn it over,” Ben encouraged, bringing a hand to cover hers, guiding her through the motion. The pancake landed with a satisfying plop, sizzling away on the buttered surface. Rey let out a noise of delight, bouncing slightly on her feet.

“Ha! Look who’s the pancake expert now,” she gloated, a smug grin playing on her lips as she looked up at him. Ben smiled back, letting out a laugh that was more of a huff of breath than anything.

“Guess you have me beat. That was a perfect flip,” he shoved his hands in the pockets of his sweats, “but that just means you get to take over manning the griddle.” Ben said with a shrug, the tension from earlier finally seeming to melt away. 

“Easy. By the end of this, I’ll definitely have you beat,” Rey said, determination coloring her features as she grabbed for the bowl of batter after transferring the finished pancakes onto a plate. 

For the most part, Rey did a pretty good job. Some of the pancakes were a bit deformed, not perfectly round or in a shape that Rey swore was a dinosaur of some sort. It all felt incredibly domestic. Rey manning the griddle while Ben prepared other portions of breakfast. He couldn’t recall a time he did this with Bazine. She normally wasn’t up before noon. Especially not on the weekends. It was… nice. 

For a moment, he could forget what happened that morning. He could forget the fact that he barely knew this woman at all. That she barely knew  _ them _ . He wanted to forget that. To throw caution to the wind and believe that he could have some good in his life. Someone besides his son who loved him in a way that was so unconditional people only thought it to be true in fairy tales. He wanted the cliches and the happily ever after.

He deserved that, right? Or did he already have it? Was having Will his happily ever after? He got to keep his son and raise him. Bazine gave him the one good thing in his life. Wasn’t that enough? Did he really  _ need _ more? He wasn’t so sure. 

Surely it was selfish to get the girl too? To have a wife who actually wanted him? Hadn’t he paid for his mistakes enough?

Ben sighed, shaking his head as he finished cutting strawberries to go with breakfast, placing the sweet fruit into a bowl.

“Okay, I'm finally done!” Rey declared from behind him, holding a plate piled high with pancakes, beaming proudly at her work. 

“Great. Let’s eat. Will, time for breakfast,” Ben called, grabbing the fruit and milk to carry to the table. He filled a new cup up with milk for his son, fixing him a plate with a healthy mix of fruit and pancakes before doing the same for himself. Rey seemed to have a different idea of what a “healthy mix” was and put twice the amount of pancakes on her plate. 

Ben said nothing, instead helping Will pour a little bit of syrup over his pancakes before sitting down. After a few minutes of enthusiastic eating from the two youngest at the table, Will piped up, “These are the best pancakes  _ ever _ , Miss Rey! I wish you could make them for me  _ all _ the time.” Ben frowned, stabbing a strawberry a bit more forcefully than necessary. 

“I thought I made the best pancakes ever, bud,” Ben raised a brow, looking over at his son. Will shook his head vehemently, eyes wide and earnest.

“Nope! Miss Rey does! She puts in extra choc’late chips. You  _ never _ do that,” his son replied matter of factly, taking another bite of the said pancakes, “so hers are better.” The words came out a little mumbled around the pancakes and Ben took a deep breath.

Rey laughed, “You flatter me, love. I wish I could make them for you all the time too.” She replied, smiling sweetly over at the boy and not noticing the way Ben’s lips pressed into a thin line, jaw clenching.

“Don’t talk with your mouth full, Will,” he snapped with more force than he’d ever spoken to his son. The table fell into an uneasy silence, only the sound of forks against plates filling the air. 

After breakfast, once the table was cleared, dishes washed and put away, and the last of the coffee served, Ben felt the start of a migraine coming on. It hadn’t even been an hour and Will was bouncing off the walls. He ran through the house, shouting and playing in a way he knew was suited for outside. 

“Will, you need to use your inside voice and stop running. You’re going to hurt yourself.” Ben caught Will by the arm as he tried to dart by and the boy pouted, trying to pull away from his father. 

“He’s just playing, Ben. It isn’t like you have any neighbors to complain.” Rey piped up, seeming amused by the display before her as she sat in the large armchair adjacent to him. 

“I’m just playin’, daddy! Let me go!” Will whined, trying to tug away again.

“It doesn’t matter if we have neighbors to complain or not. He  _ knows _ he isn’t supposed to run or yell inside,” Ben said, fixing Will with a stern look, “We have rules for a reason.” 

Rey shook her head, brows knitting together, “What’s the point of being a kid if you don’t get to break the rules sometimes? You’re on  _ vacation _ . Live a little,” she reached over, prying Ben’s hand from Will’s arm, the toddler bolting as soon as he was free. Will stuck his tongue out at his father and ran into the other room. 

Ben took a deep breath, “That isn’t okay, Rey. You don’t just undermine someone when they are disciplining their kid. You’re not his parent,” he said cooly, pinching the bridge of his nose for a moment before finally fixing her with a stern look. 

She flushed, fiddling with the hem of her dress, “Well maybe you’re being too hard on him. He’s only four. What’s the harm in running around and yelling a little bit? I bet you did it when you were little,” Rey muttered the last part, having enough sense to avert her gaze when she said it. 

Before Ben could respond there was a thud and the sound of Will crying rang out through the house. He hurried onto his feet and into the other room, finding his son on the floor sobbing and holding his head. “Hey, hey… It’s okay, buddy. Daddy’s here.” He soothed gently, moving to pick up his son and check that he wasn’t bleeding. 

“N-no! I w-want M-m-miss Rey!” He wailed, pushing at Ben’s hands, face red and cheeks streaked with tears. Ben sighed, continuing to try and pick up Will as the toddler kicked and pushed, crying the whole time. 

Rey appeared behind him in the door frame a moment later, eyes wide, “What happened? Is he okay?” She asked, worried. 

“He’s okay. Just hit his head,” he said as Will pushed away from Ben and ran toward Rey, throwing himself at her legs and hugging her tightly as he cried. She knelt down and picked him up, wrapping him tightly in her arms as she soothed him.

Will continued to cry into her shoulder as Ben stood up, trying to resist the urge to snatch his child from her arms. She moved out to the living room once more, sitting back down and holding Will in her lap as the toddler emptied himself of his tears. 

Ben counted to ten before rejoining them, jealousy and annoyance bubbling hot in his belly. They sat in silence until Will’s sobs turned into sniffles and hiccups, his head still pillowed against her shoulder. They stayed like that for a few minutes more until the sound of Rey’s phone ringing pierced through the air. 

She answered it, shifting Will in her arms to cradle the phone against her ear, “Hello?” Ben clenched and unclenched his hands against his knees, fighting the urge to take his son from her. “Yeah, I can come in. I’ll be there in ten.” Rey hung up, clearing her throat, “I, uhm, have to go in to work, but I could come by later.” 

She said as she stood, adjusting Will on her hip as she looked at Ben, bottom lip caught between her teeth. Ben swallowed thickly, standing and reaching for his son. The boy clung to Rey as Ben pried him off of her, holding the squirming toddler firmly as the tears began to well up again. 

“I’m not sure that’s a good idea.” Ben finally said after a stretch of silence, voice strained as he moved to open the front door for her. Rey got the hint, grabbing her bag and moving toward the door. 

“Ben… If this is about this morning…” Rey started, trailing off when he shook his head. She looked hurt, the corners of her lips downturned and eyes almost glassy with what could have been unshed tears.

“It isn’t just about this morning, Rey. It’s about all of it,” he said as Will cried in his arms, thrashing as he had a full on meltdown. Ben drew in a shaky breath, pushing on, “I don’t know what you think this is, but it isn’t a game, okay? You don’t get to come play house for a couple of hours and then go back to your life whenever you get your fill. Being a parent is real and it’s hard and I have done my damndest to make a good life for me and Will. I don’t need some girl coming in and messing it up because she thinks she knows what it means to be a parent.” 

He was bouncing in place, trying to soothe his son and keep his voice even despite the way his throat was tightening and his gut twisted with every word. “We’re real people and we’ve been through a lot… And I think it’s best that we don’t see each other. Not if you can’t respect what I’m trying to do here.” 

“But Ben, I-” her voice broke and she tried to step forward, but Ben shook his head again, moving to close the door. Will began to thrash, screaming as he pushed and hit at Ben’s chest, extending his small body towards Rey as he tried to grab at her with one outstretched hand.

“D-da-ddy! I w-w-want Mi-iss Rey-y!” His son wailed, red in the face from the fight he was putting up.

“I have to go now… Goodbye, Rey,” he said softly, hise voice barely audible over the sound of Will’s crying. Once the door swung shut, Ben turned to press his back to it and closed his eyes against the irrational tears he felt there and took a deep breath as he rubbed his son’s back. Will continued to sob, crying enough for both of them. 

No, he didn’t need the girl too. He had Will to take care of and love. That was more than enough for him. They would be happy. He’d make sure of it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed this chapter!  
I know I am leaving it on a angsty cliffhanger, but hang in there. I have plans for these two!
> 
> Let me know what you think is going to happen! I love reading your comments and guesses as to what the next chapter holds!  
Follow my socials for updates!  
Twitter: CaitlinTaylorM1

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you all enjoyed this chapter!
> 
> Let me know what you think is going to happen! I love reading your comments and guesses as to what the next chapter holds!
> 
> I will be updating this fic on Mondays!
> 
> Follow my socials for updates!  
Tumblr: artiowritestrash  
Twitter: CaitlinTaylorM1


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